BEST CANADIAN ONLINE CASINOS
A Game Worth Playing
History of Video Poker
- 1891: An early poker machine was invented by Sittman and Pitt Company of Brooklyn
in New York.
- 1898: Charles Fey created the Card Bell, which was a poker machine that could
automatically pay out real cash prizes to winners.
- 1901: The first Five-Card Draw Poker machine was invented. This gave players
the chance to improve their hand by allowing them to hold some of the cards and leave some after the
first spin.
- 1970: The first video poker machine was introduced by Dale Electronics. It was
called Poker-Matic and was fitted in almost every casino in Las Vegas at the time.
If you are looking for a real money game that requires skill, strategy formulation, and decision making,
then this is your best bet. It's a game where you have greater control over your outcome. This makes it
much more interesting than other casino table games and slots. Whenever you are playing a hand at Video
Poker, you are well aware of what the odds are.
Although poker and slots share histories, slots can carry a house edge ranging from 1% to 25%. Moreover,
Video Poker is the ONLY game where the pay table clearly tells you the return on your dollar gambled!
When you know this, you can identify the best winning odds on your favourite games, something that makes
this game already a winner in our eyes.
Playing a Combination of Two Classics
Video Poker is quite a simple game, with rules similar to Five Card Draw Poker. It is played on an
electronic screen and there isn't any opponent that you compete against. The minimum winning hand
depends on the form of video poker you select, but the general play largely stays the same:
1
The player makes an opening wager by selecting a coin
size and the number of coins. Once that is done, the DEAL button is pressed.
2
The player receives five cards on the video screen and
they decide which ones to keep and which ones to discard. You can retain as many cards as
you prefer.
3
The DRAW button is then pressed, which replaces the
discarded cards with new ones.
4
The final set of cards represents the final hand,
compared with the payout table to give out your winnings.
A Hand Rankings Breakdown
Video Poker contains a lot of hands that you can make and it is essential that you know what each hand
really means. This is because the payouts of every Video Poker game are dependent on what hand you are
holding. Here is a list of all the popular hands in casino online Video Poker from the highest to the
lowest.
-
Five Of A Kind* Five cards of the same value, only possible with Wild Cards
(Jokers or Wild Deuces).
-
Royal Flush An ace high straight flush.
-
Straight Flush Five cards in sequential order of the same suit.
-
Four Of A Kind Four cards of the same rank along with one additional card.
-
Full House A hand containing two pair along with three pair.
-
Flush Any five cards that are of the same suit, not needing to be in any order.
-
Straight Five cards in sequential order, not needing to be of them same suit.
-
Three Of A Kind Three cards of the same value.
-
Two Pair Two sets of pairs.
-
One Pair** Two cards of the same value, with three additional cards.
* Only in some games
** Please note that not all pairs pay out - your pair has to be Jacks or higher in Jacks or
Better, or Tens or higher in Tens or Better Video Poker.
Popular Variants Available Online
There are numerous variants of Video Poker with different odds and varying payouts. But with so much
choice it can get a little overwhelming, so we've narrowed it down to the most popular variations for
you to better understand them and decide on your favourite.
Jacks or Better
It is simply Draw Poker, in which the minimum winning hand is a pair of Jacks. This game has a
low variance and a good payback in the full pay version, a perfect choice for beginners.
Tens or Better
Just like Jacks or Better, except that it pays when you get a pair of tens. Thus, a minimum rank
of a pair of tens forms a winning hand. The payouts of the game are comparatively lower than
Jacks or Better.
Deuces Wild
In this game, the deuces, or 2's, are considered as wild cards. The deuce can replace any
another card and can be used to create a five-of-a-kind winning hand. The minimum winning hand
is three-of-a-kind rank.
Double Bonus
A variation of Jacks or Better, Double Bonus has two bonus pays, both of which are Four of a
Kind. Players get 80 times the amount bet for four Twos, four Threes, or four Fours with a
whopping payout of 160 times the amount bet for a hand of four Aces.
Double Double Bonus
Double Double Bonus is an extension of Double Bonus, in which there are more pays for Four of a
Kind wins with kickers. For instance, if you get four Aces with a 2, 3 or 4 as a kicker, you get
a grand payout of 2,000 coins.
Joker's Wild
This game adds a wild Joker card to the standard deck of cards and can result in creating a Five
of a Kind winning hand. A winning hand results when you have at least a minimum rank of Two
Pairs in your finished hand. There are two other variants of the game - Kings or Better and Aces
or Better.
Bally's All American
This game is based on Jacks or Better, but has an increased payout structure. The payouts are
increased for Full Houses and Two Pairs, but are reduced on Straight Flushes, Flushes, and
Straights. All-American Poker has one of the highest expected returns of all VP games.
Suggested Strategies for New & Seasoned Players
Now that you've learned how to play the game, the various hand ranks, and the types of Video Poker
available at casino online sites, we'd like to suggest a few strategies that may help you to play a
better game.
Try To Bet the Max
When playing Video Poker, it is advisable to bet a maximum of five coins per wager,
irrespective of the coin denomination. The value of the coins will be determined by the
game's betting limits. When you bet at max, you improve your chances of winning as it opens
up any in-game bonuses and jackpots. When playing five coins, the payout for a Royal Flush
is higher than it is when only one coin is played. If you can't afford betting max at a
higher coin size, you should choose a lower-denomination machine and bet max at it.
Know Your Game Inside Out
Online Video Poker has a lot of variants, with each variant having its own paytable and
strategy. As a player, you need to understand the nature of the game, and each variant has
its own unique set of rules, although the basic premise is the same - to make money. You can
only earn high payouts if you play the game optimally, and for that you need to learn the
different rules, payout tables, and strategy for each variant. Although it can be tedious to
learn all those strategies, it is best to find a variant you like and master strategies for
it.
Rake Up More Loyalty Points
Online video poker is an extremely fast-paced game, unlike other traditional table games, and
it's easy to determine a win or a loss since the final hand comes in quickly. Therefore, you
can earn plenty of reward points in a short time. By being part of a casino Rewards Program,
you can earn free cash and comps for playing the machines. They reward their most loyal
players with a wide range of benefits which can range from simple cashbacks to exclusive
tournaments & luxurious prizes.
Terminology
- Action - Action refers to using a particular machine by placing bets on it. The
amount of action refers to the amount of money wagered on the machine during a session.
- Boat - Slang for Full House i.e. holding Three of a Kind and a Pair in the same
five card hand.
- Bust - A worthless hand that has failed to improve and is not worth playing.
- Full Pay Machine - A machine with the highest payback percentage table - also
known as a 9/6 machine.
- Inside Straight - When you have four cards to a Straight and are missing one of
the middle cards. Also known as Inside Straight Draw.
- Kickers - The highest unmatched card in a final hand that isn't included in the
winning combination of cards. In some online casino video poker variants such as Double Bonus
Poker, the kicker accompanies Four of a Kind hands to increase the payout.
- Optimal Strategy - The strategy in which you make the best decisions on which
cards to hold and discard, centered on the odds and best payback percentage to get maximum ROI.
- Outside straight - When you have four cards in a row, but are in need of a
fifth card at either end. Also known as Open-Ended Straight Draw.
- Pat Hand - When you have an initial five card hand that cannot be enhanced by
drawing more cards.
Top Tips from the Pros
Before we're done with giving you a thorough description of the game, suggested strategies, important
terms to learn, and guidelines on how to play, we'd like to leave you with a few concise pro tips from
professional Video Poker players.
- Jacks or Better Full Pay offers the highest odds of winning the game.
- Bet at maximum to get maximum returns.
- Practice your strategies in demo mode before playing the real money version.
On The Hunt for Quality Sites
![Quality Sites]()
Video Poker is by far one of the most loved games at any casino online. Even when you visit a land based
casino, you'll see a long line for Video Poker terminals. Partly because of its engaging characteristics
and also due to its payouts, people in Canada generally love playing the game.
If you aren't able to make it to a physical casino or just don't feel like leaving home, we've got a full
list of quality casinos you can play this game at for Canadian Dollars. Each casino on our list
has been audited and analyzed for transaction methods, player safety, game fairness, and several other
important factors. We invite you to take a look for yourself!
Explore the best online Video Poker
casinos!
Video Poker FAQ
The Criminal Code of Canada made gambling legal decades ago, so players are free to play at
their favourite Video Poker online casinos without any restriction. Just make sure the
casino online offering it is licenced and regulated by reputed gambling regulatory
authorities.
Video Poker and regular
poker are
based on the same rules. The difference lies in that Video Poker is played alone without
competing against other players and the cards are dealt by an electronic machine. The only
losses you suffer in Video Poker are when you fail to make the lowest winning hand.
Video Poker is a relatively simple game to play, but the hardest part is playing it well.
Since it is a game of skill, there is a lot of decision making to be done. When playing
Video Poker, it is advisable to bet the max to get the highest payout when you hit a royal
flush. However, this strategy is only a suggestion and does not improve your chances of
winning.
Compared to other casino online games, Video Poker has a lower house edge and this works to
the advantage of the gambler. Odds may differ from casino to casino, but usually a Jacks or
Better game, when played with the right strategy, can yield you a 99.54% return. Keep an eye
out for the 9/6 paytable, also known as "full pay" games. Variants with this table can pay 9
to 1 when you get a full house and 6 to 1 when you get a flush.
Yes it is. But for that you need patience, you have to master the gameplay techniques and
maintain a strong bankroll. There are some Video Poker variants that offer more than 100%
payback when played with perfect strategy. However, you should always keep in mind the fact
that this is a game of chance and there is no guarantee of winning every time. It's also not
recommended to rely on gambling as your main source of income.
The Video Poker machine is based on RNG (Random Number Generator) software that randomly
deals the deck of cards. This means results are completely arbitrary and based on pure luck.
To further guarantee that you are not playing a rigged version of Video Poker, always select
sites that have been certified by international gambling authorities such as eCOGRA.
